El Hadji Ag Gamou, Malian army general, was officially received by President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in Bamako as head of the Gatia, along with other leaders of armed groups following the signing of a cease- fire.
The day before, alongside the Malian president, he attended the military parade in his uniform of Malian army general at the commemoration of September 22. This Sunday, September 24, El Hadji Ag Gamou reappeared turbaned and straight in his boubou, again alongside President IBK. But this time, as leader of the Gatia, an armed group member of the Platform that multiplied military victories on the ground after the defeat of the army in May 2014 in Kidal.
Created in August 2014, Gatia counts between 500 and 1000 men on the ground at its creation. Fahad Ag Almahamoud, current secretary-general of the movement, explained that the objective was to “defend the interest of the Imghad community against the independence movement of the MNLA”. But from the early days, especially during the Battle of Tabankort, the media announced links between the movement and the Malian State and suspected General El Hadj Gamou of being in the maneuver.
Today, this double cap of the general has become official. The images, also published on the Twitter account of the Malian presidency, were taken shortly after the signing of a ceasefire between the Platform and the former rebels of the CMA following numerous clashes in the Kidal region. This umpteenth agreement between the two sides should allow the release of the detainees during the clashes and the return of the Gamou men to the outskirts of Kidal, still under the control of the ex-rebels. Despite the “definitive” return of Governor Sidi Mohamed Ag Icharach.
Aboubacar Dicko